Omar Sinno, MD, US Medical Strategy Lead for Rare Disease at UCB Pharma, discusses data presented on myasthenia gravis (MG) at the 2026 American Academy of Neurology meeting.
MG is a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disease characterized by weakness of the skeletal muscles. Common symptoms include weakness of the muscles that control the eye and eyelid, facial expressions, chewing, talking, and swallowing. The condition results from a defect in the transmission of nerve impulses to muscles due to the presence of antibodies against the acetylcholine receptor. The exact reason this occurs is not known.
At the 2026 American Academy of Neurology meeting, UCB presented various datasets on MG:
Data on Zilbrysq (zilucoplan), a complement C5 inhibitor approved for the treatment of generalized MG in adult patients who are anti-AChR Ab positive. The treatment is available as a prefilled syringe and an auto-injector. Recent data shows the auto-injector has a 99.8% bioavailability similar to the prefilled syringe and patients treated showed minimal symptom expression.
Rystiggo (rozanolixizumab), a humanized monoclonal antibody designed to block FcRn
in adults with anti-AChR Ab positive or anti-MuSK Ab positive MG, illustrated consistency of response after the first cycle. Additionally, in patients who did not respond well after the first cycle, a good response was observed after the second cycle of treatment.
Additional data presented focused on health equity and treatment guidance/goals. Mr. Sinno stresses the importance of giving patients options in terms of their treatment and care. Because all patients are different, establishing comprehensive treatment goals for each individual is a current focus for the company.
Another focus is addressing disparities between patient populations, including those between patients in rural versus suburban/urban areas and the longer time-to-diagnosis and more severe presentations seen in the African American population.
To learn more about MG and other rare neurological conditions, visit https://checkrare.com/diseases/neurology-nervous-system-diseases/
